30-Minute Stories

Two o'clock.  Time for the last class of the day.  Calvin always looked forward to this class, not just for the content but for the teacher.  He walked down the hallway, past the rows of lockers and doors, and turned into the last one on the left.  He glanced up at the placard on the door as he entered. "MAGIC SAFETY & AWARENESS" it read in big, bold letters.  Today they would be starting some practice applications, instead of the book work and theoretical study they had been doing for weeks prior.  Calvin usually hated book work, but Mr. O'Leary had a way of presenting it that was thoughtful and engaging. The room was a typical classroom, adorned with rows of seats with desks attached to them, walls decorated with posters and cupboards, a blackboard with chalk streaks here and there and old formulas that refused to be cleaned off, and a large desk at the front of everything.  Seated behind the desk was a  tall man with short, brown hair....

Calvin, Kate and Richie all took their usual spot in the cafeteria.  It was one of the only times they were all able to hang out together during classes, since Richie was a grade lower than them and had a different schedule.  Luckily they all had the same lunch period.  The room was big, but ordinary.  Calvin had never been to another school, but he imagined all of their lunchrooms looked pretty much the same.  Long tables, with benches attached, had been pulled out for the students, leaving enough room for walkways down the sides and in between them.  The metal sliders that covered the kitchen windows had been rolled up, and the staff of lunch attendants were ready to take each and every order. "If you hate pizza so much, then why do you always ask for it?" Kate asked Richie as he picked a piece of pepperoni off of the slice in front of him and popped it into his mouth. "I don't HATE the pizza," Richie emphasized.  "I just hate the crust.  Yo...

Chris lied still in his bed, his breath barely audible amidst the hum of the fan next to him.   His mind was elsewhere, though, deep in the dreams that plagued him each night.   This one was pleasant enough, though.   He dreamt that he was at home, and he was but a child again.   The old mobile home living room was more or less how he remembered it from his childhood.   Faux wood paneling outlined the living room, complete with shag carpet.   His grandparent’s ancient TV in the corner, playing whatever family-friendly Western was on at that time of day.   His grandma was busy in the attached kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee.   His grandpa was in his room, which adjoined the living room.   A few things were out of place, such as his grandma’s collection of birdhouses being absent, but it wasn’t enough for his mind to see through the illusion of the dream.   Chris heard a rustle from the bedroom.   His grandpa was getting...

She awoke the next morning with a little more bounce in her step.  The adventures of the night before had been as exhilarating as any chance encounter with the opposite sex could be, although it didn't end as well for Joe as he'd hoped, she guessed.  She hopped out of bed, fixed her pajama bottoms, and threw open the curtains.  Warm sunlight rushed in, illuminating the small studio apartment that she called home.  She walked over to the coffee pot and started it, shooing her cat off the counter in the process. "You know you're not supposed to be up here, Buckles," she said to the cat.  He scampered away, looking for his litter box and food.  Good idea , She thought, as she wandered toward the bathroom and thought about what to make herself for breakfast. ------------- With coffee and food in her system, she plopped down on her musty old couch.  Dust rose from it and danced in the sunlight. She knew it was gross, but she was always intrigued by th...

Steve stepped out of his truck, grabbed his bag and headed into the depot.  He stopped at a vending machine, punched in his code, and grabbed some essentials for the trip: batteries for his lamp, ear plugs, and an extra pair of safety glasses.  He always needed an extra pair of glasses because he had a habit of leaving them on the train after a trip and no one wanted to risk getting reprimanded by the higher ups for not having their safety equipment on a trip.  He tucked them all away in his bag and continued down the hall to a small room off to the side.  Not much could be said about the room, as it didn't contain much.  Just a radio setup, a few small lockers, a table that was as shaky as it was old, and a few dirty chairs.  Occupying one of those chairs was his engineer for the night, Jon Berry. "Evening, Jon," Steve said as he entered the room.  Jon Boyd was what they called an old head, through and through.  Steve and the other conductors w...

After breakfast Calvin helped his dad clear the table while his mom loaded the dishwasher.  "I'll drop you both off on the way to the office, if that's OK with everyone," Valerie said. "Works for me, I need to take my car into the shop soon, anyway," Bruce replied.  Calvin nodded in agreement.  He usually walked with his friends, but didn't mind the occasional lift from his parents.  Unlike some kids at school, he had a good relationship with both of them, and never felt embarrassed pulling up to the school in their cars. "But first, Calvin..." Valerie nodded her head toward a small cup containing a reddish, slightly luminescent liquid.  Calvin picked up the cup, as he had so many other mornings, and downed the potion in one go. "Strawberries, today?"  He asked as he set the cup down.  "You are correct, sir," his mom said. When they pulled up to the curb in front of the school, Calvin bid his parents goodbye and hopp...